PURGATIVE CASSIA. 141 



Those pods, or canes, which are the heaviest, and in which the 

 seeds do not rattle on being shaken, are commonly the best, and 

 contain the most pulp, which is the part medicinally employed, and 

 to be obtained in the manner described in the pharmacopoeias. 



The best pulp is of a bright shining black colour, and of a sweet 

 taste, with a slight degree of acidity. It dissolves both in water 

 and in rectified spirit; readily in the former, slowly and difficultly in 

 the latter, and not totally in either : the part which remains undis- 

 solved appears to be of little or no activity ." 



We are told by C. Bauhin, that some have supposed the Siliqua 

 iEgyptiaca of Theophrastus to be our Cassia Fistula; but there 

 seems no evidence of its being known to the ancient Greeks; so that 

 it is with more probability (bought that the use of this, as well as of 

 senna, was first discovered by the Arabian physicians 



The pulp of cassia has been long used as a laxative medicine, and 

 being gentle in its operation, aud seldom occasioning griping or un- 

 easiness of the bowels, has been thought well adapted to children, 

 and to delicate or pregnant women. Adults, however, find it of 

 little effect, unless taken in a very large dose, as an ounce or more, 

 and therefore to them this pulp is rarely given alone, but usually con- 

 joined with some of the brisker purgatives. It has been observed 

 by Vallisnieri, that its purgative quality is remarkably promoted by 

 manna ; but this effect was never discovered in the trials made by 

 Dr. Cullen, in whose opinion the cassia pulp is much of the same 

 nature as the fructus acido dulces ; and he says, " that it would 

 certainly be proper for our country apothecaries to know, that the 

 pulp of prunes might be employed in the place of the more expen- 

 sive and precarious cassia.'' 



By the use of cassia, it has been remarked, that the urine becomes 

 of a green or blackish colour; but Bergius relates, that a young 

 man took an ounce three successive mornings, without producing the 

 least change in the colour of his urine. 



The officinal preparation of this drug is the electuarium e cassia : 

 it is also an ingredient in the electuarium e senna, or e. lenitivum. 

 [Sennert* Boerhaave. Gmelin, Woodville. 



